Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), known as Tech N9ne, is an American rapper, actor and entrepreneur. In 1999, Yates and business partner Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. He has sold over two million albums and has had his music featured in film, television, and video games. In 2009, he won the Left Field Woodie award at the mtvU Woodie Awards